The present invention relates generally to automatic milking systems. The invention also relates to a computer program and a computer readable medium.
Automatic milking solutions are becoming increasingly efficient and sophisticated. Today, there is also a strong demand for flexible and animal-friendly milk production. For example, so-called milking robots have been introduced, which enable animals to autonomously decide when they are to be milked. Milking robots are advantageous because they render it possible to service a relatively large number of milking animals via comparatively few milking machines. Milking robots are also desirable from an animal health point-of-view, since thereby it is uncomplicated to extract milk more frequently than by applying the existing alternative solutions, and in general, high-frequency milking vouches for a good udder health.
Various solutions are known for investigating the milk quality, and based thereon, deducing a health condition for the milking animal. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,417 reveals a method and system for investigating mastitis of a cow by measuring the electrical conductivity of the milk extracted from the cow. An average value of the electrical conductivity is computed for a particular historic interval, and once each day any deviation between the electrical conductivity and the average thereof is determined. The deviation is stored and/or displayed and serves as an indication of the onset of mastitis.
EP 1 126 757 discloses a solution for regulating the handling of milk during the milking process, wherein at least one property of a particle present in the milk is assessed, e.g. the number of somatic cells. The purpose of this assessment is to provide a basis for substantially real-time regulation, or adjustment, of the milking process and/or the transport of milk during milking.
EP 1 070 452 describes a method for automatically milking animals, wherein various criteria are proposed for determining an appropriate time between consecutive milkings of a given animal. Inter alia, a recorded somatic cell count for the animal is presented as one such criterion. If the somatic cell count appears to signal a latent mastitis, the animal should be milked at relatively shorter intervals. It is here presumed that the somatic cell count is determined off-line at a remote location (e.g. in a laboratory).
Hence, the prior art includes a solution for real-time assessment of the volume concentration of somatic cells in milk aiming at controlling an ongoing process, i.e. milk extraction and/or milk transport. The prior art also shows that it is advisable to milk an animal having a high recorded somatic cell count at relatively shorter intervals. Today, many national/regional dairy associations provide farmers with test reports on a monthly basis. Inter alia, the reports reflect the concentration of somatic cells in the milk for each of the farmer's animals. Recent studies, however, have found that the somatic cell count may vary quickly, and thus attain highly dissimilar values at different milkings. Therefore, a recorded somatic cell count, which perhaps is updated monthly, may not provide an adequate basis for assigning an appropriate delay until the next milking of a given animal.